WHERE TO GO

NORTHERN CIRCUIT

ARUSHA NATIONAL PARK

Located just a short drive from Arusha and Moshi, Arusha National Park is Tanzania's most accessible national park and the perfect place for a day trip or as the first or last stop on a longer itinerary. At just 137 square kilometers (53 square miles), it's a small park with a lot to see.

With diverse wildlife that includes herbivores such as elephants, hippos, buffaloes, zebras, colobus monkeys and even the occasional wildebeest, Arusha National Park is also home to the world's largest population of giraffes, making it a great place to visit for fans of these long-necked, beautiful animals. Arusha National Park is also a perfect place to get out and stretch your legs - with both walking safaris and canoe safaris available within the park.

Arusha National Park boasts a broad variety of landscapes, ranging from open savannah through acacia scrubland to rainforest and, eventually, to alpine conditions on the higher reaches of Mt. Meru.

TARANGIRE NATIONAL PARK

After the Serengeti, Tarangire National Park has the greatest concentration of wildlife in Tanzania and in the dry season the Tarangire River is a magnet for thirsty wildlife. Tarangire also has some of the highest population density of elephants as compared to anywhere in Tanzania, and is the one place in Tanzania where dry-country antelope such as the stately fringe-eared oryx and peculiar long-necked gerenuk are regularly observed. Its sparse vegetation, strewn with baobab and acacia trees and its breathtaking views of the Maasai Steppe and the mountains in the south makes it a beautiful and distinctive location to visit.

Located just a 2-hour drive from Arusha, Tarangire is a popular stop for people traveling through the northern safari circuit on their way to Ngorongoro and the Serengeti. The park extends into two game controlled areas and the wildlife is allowed to move freely throughout.

LAKE MANYARA NATIONAL PARK

With the Lake on its east and the Manyara Escarpment to its west, Lake Manyara National Park is a small park that offers breathtaking views and a large variety of habitats supporting an array of wildlife. The landscape features acacia woodlands, water forests, baobab strewn cliffs, algae-streaked hot springs, swamps and the lake itself. Manyara has the largest concentration of baboons anywhere in the world and the lions here are also renowned for their tree climbing; birdlife are plentiful.

NGORONGORO CONSERVATION AREA (NCA)

Ngorongoro CraterThe Ngorongoro Crater is often called "Africa’s Eden" and the "8th Natural Wonder of the World" and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. A visit to the crater is a main drawcard for tourists coming to Tanzania and a definite world-class attraction. Ngorongoro is quite unique as its physical protection from man has resulted in a natural beauty that ranks it among the most pristine wildernesses on earth. It is the world’s largest intact crater, covering an area of 260 square kilometers (100 square miles) and being 600 meters (2,000 feet) deep, supporting 20,000-30,000 animals at any one time. On the crater floor, grassland blends into swamps, lakes, rivers, woodland and mountains – all a haven for wildlife, including the largest predator population in Africa. The volcanic crater is jam-packed with wildlife, including all the Big Five game. Its pride and joy, however, is that it remains the last great wild refuge for black rhino.

Olduvai GorgeThe Ngorongoro Conservation Area is also home to Olduvai Gorge, where Louis and Mary Leakey discovered the hominoid remains of a 1.8 million year old skeleton of Australopithecus boisei, also known as "nutcracker man", one of the distinct links of the human evolutionary chain. In a small canyon just north of the crater, the Leakeys and their team of international archaeologists unearthed the ruins of at least three distinct hominoid species, and also came upon a complete series of hominoid footprints estimated to be over 3.7 million years old. Evacuated fossils show that the area is one of the oldest sites of hominoid habitation in the world.

SERENGETI NATIONAL PARK

Serengeti National Park is undoubtedly the best-known wildlife sanctuary in the world. Unequalled for its natural beauty and scientific value, it has the greatest concentration of plains game in Africa.

The popular southern/central part (Seronera Valley), is what the Maasai called the “serengit”, the land of endless plains. It’s classic savannah, dotted with acacias and filled with wildlife. The western corridor is marked by the Grumeti River, and has more forests and dense bush.

It is the migration which the Serengeti is perhaps most famous for. Over a million wildebeest and about 200,000 zebras flow south from the northern hills to the southern plains for the short rains every October and November, and then swirl west and north after the long rains in April, May and June. So strong is the ancient instinct to move that no drought, gorge or crocodile infested river can hold them back. The wildebeest travel through a variety of parks, reserves and protected areas and through a variety of habitats. Join us to explore the different forms of vegetation and landscapes of the Serengeti ecosystem and meet some of their most fascinating inhabitants.

LAKE NATRON

A soda lake at the base of the active Ol Donyo Lengai volcano (the only volcano in the world to produce black lava), the area around Lake Natron is often described as having a desolate and almost lunar beauty. Lake Natron is found in the northern part of Tanzania, close to the Kenyan border. It is the most important breeding site for Lesser Flamingos in the world. They are able to overcome the strong alkaline content of the lake, and flock to its shallow waters annually to breed and feed on the lake's blue-green algae.

Although the area contains some of the finest scenery in the whole of Africa and despite its proximity to the Serengeti, Lake Natron remains way off the beaten track. The ascending of Ol Donyo Lengai volcano, walks around the lake and to the streams and waterfalls along the nearby escarpment make for fantastic adventures.

LAKE EYASI

About one hour’s drive south west of Karatu (on the outskirts of the Ngorongoro Crater), and tucked between the Kidero Mountains in the south and the Eyasi Escarpment in the north, Lake Eyasi is set in a remote, dry, arid landscape. It is a shallow seasonal lake that fills with water after rains and subsequently plays host to a myriad of birdlife such as flamingos and pelicans, and provides water for the pastoralist Datoga people and the Hadzabe tribe of bushmen.

The Hadzabe speak Hadzane— a language which involves unique (and, for a westerner, nearly impossible to replicate) glottal stops and click sounds on consonants. It is spoken by less than 800 people today, and the number of fluent speakers is in decline. Isolated through their remarkably steadfast tradition, the Hadzabe have changed little in 10,000 years.

Come join us on a bushman tour visiting the Datoga people or go hunting with the Hadzabe tribe and witness their unchanged, traditional way of life and harmony with the earth.

SOUTHERN TANZANIA

SELOUS GAME RESERVE

Selous is one of the most remote and seldom visited game parks in Africa, but at 55,000 square kilometers, it covers more than 5% of Tanzania’s total area and is the largest of its kind in Africa. The landscape here has remained almost as it was before tourism began and the massive park has only a few options of accommodations.

The defining feature of the Selous is the great Rufiji River. The area can be explored by boat, sailing through swamps and lagoons where elephant often come to bathe, or even by foot, as the Selous National Park is one of few Tanzanian reserves to allow walking tours. It has the world’s largest number of big game, more than 120,000 elephants, 160,000 buffaloes and about 2,000 rhinoceros. In addition, the Selous Game Reserve contains Africa’s greatest concentration of hippopotamus, crocodiles and wild dogs.

RUAHA NATIONAL PARK

Ruaha is East Africa’s biggest national park and the second-largest on the African continent. It is also Tanzania’s most sizeable elephant haven and home to buffaloes, giraffes, cheetahs, lions, leopards, a wide variety of antelope and a profusion of bird species. Crocodiles and hippos thrive in the Great Ruaha River, which flows along the sanctuary’s eastern border and in the dry season between July and November, animals flock to the last remaining water sources, presenting an exceptional wildlife spectacle.

Although set in spectacular scenery with an abundance of wildlife, the park is one of the lesser visited in the country, keeping it an isolated and peaceful wilderness.

WESTERN TANZANIA

MAHALE MOUNTAINS NATIONAL PARK

Mahale Mountains National Park is nestled on the Lake Tanganyika shoreline in western Tanzania. The park, Tanzania's most remote and one of its most alluring, is first and foremost a chimpanzee sanctuary. About 1,700 chimpanzees live within its 1,613sqkm area, but the focal point for visitors is the 60-strong Mimikere, or 'M' group, which has been the subject of research for more than four decades. Chimp tracking is captivating: almost without warning, a chimp brushes past you on the trail or several of them become visible in a clearing just ahead or high above in the tree tops. In between chimp tracking expeditions, Lake Tanganyika beckons for snorkelling, kayaking and hippo- and crocodile-spotting forays. In the evening, the setting is magical as the sun sets over the Congo Mountains in the distance, and tiny lights from fishing boats flicker across the lake. An unusual feature of the park is that it is one of the very few in Africa that must be experienced by foot. There are no roads or other infrastructure within the park boundaries, and the only way in and out of the park is via boat on the lake.

MOUNT KILIMANJARO

Climbing Kilimanjaro can be a life changing experience. You can do it for the challenge, for the unique scenery, for the feeling of success, for the adrenaline and accomplishments, and for many other reasons. One thing is for sure, your life will change after you've dominated the highest free standing mountain on Earth.

Kilimanjaro's snow-capped peak is one of the most awe-inspiring sights in Africa. Straddling the Kenya/Tanzania border, the iconic Mount Kilimanjaro rises up to an impressive 5.896 meters (19,340 ft) above sea level. It is one of the world's highest volcanoes, the highest mountain on the African continent (giving it the nickname of “Africa’s Roof”), and the highest free-standing mountain on earth; making it an international destination attracting trekkers and mountaineers from around the globe.

While it is definitely a challenge, the great thing about Kilimanjaro is that is the only one of the 7 peaks that you don’t need to be an experienced mountaineer to make it to the top. It is quite simply one of the most amazing feeling of accomplishment you will ever experience! Not only will you learn about the history of Kilimanjaro, the flora and fauna in the region but you’ll also get to know the local Tanzania culture through stories (and sometimes a bit of song and dance).

ZANZIBAR

Zanzibar is an archipelago of historic Indian Ocean islands, awash with atmosphere, intrigue, and idyllic beach experiences. Zanzibar has a wide range of accommodation choices and plenty to see, do and discover. It is the perfect place to relax after an exhilarating safari or climbing Kilimanjaro. It is also a glorious paradise for honeymooners or a romantic holiday getaway. As the site of Sultans’ palaces and renowned for its spice plantations, the little island republic of Zanzibar is a must-see for any visitor to Tanzania.

Visitors to Zanzibar tend to arrive and leave via Stone Town, the island capital and an historic hub for commerce and culture. This ancient center was the seat of the Sultans, whose crumbling palaces, bath houses and mosques are a legacy of this opulent and vibrant time at the heart of the gold trade. Stone Town remains a wonderful place to spend a night or two, getting lost among the ancient buildings and labyrinthine streets, eating fresh fish on the sea front, and breathing in the sights, sounds and smells of a truly Swahili center.